From car tyres to the restaurant industry's most respected rating guide... that's quite a leap. Does Dulux paint rate internet service providers? Does British Airways rate garden mowers? Does no-one else find it bizarre? Anyway...
However we got here, Michelin stars are probably the most recognized and influential gastronomic ratings in Europe and they whip chefs and restauranteurs alike up into quite the frenzy.
Stars are awarded sparingly and are taken very seriously in the restaurant business, where the addition or loss of a star can mean wildly different levels of turnover and therefore profit. Some three-star restaurants are able to charge hundreds of pounds for a meal on the strength of their reputation alone.
Here are some of London's best for you to digest...
Our pick of Michelin-starred restaurants
It came as a surprise to no one when London’s most talked about restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in its first year of opening. Unlike many other Michelin winners, Ollie Dabbous’ refined menu is competitively priced.
The quiet mews where the Greenhouse is located feels a hundred miles away from Oxford Street, but not so, for it’s in fact slap bang in the middle of Mayfair. The fine French menu suits its chic address, and Arnaud Bignon’s masterful cooking was rewarded with a second Michelin star in 2013.
Alain Ducasse may well be the übermensch of the gastronomical world, having picked up a serious collection of awards over the years, along with 15 Michelin stars shared among his various restaurants. He may not be in the kitchen himself at the Dorchester, but chef Jocelyn Herland’s cuisine is big on strong flavours, unexpected textures and pulchritudinous presentation.
Seasonal British produce is used to great effect at this French fine dining eatery, which also boasts a vegetarian à la carte selection. With a set lunch costing just £27.50 it is also the most affordable Michelin-starred restaurant in the capital.
The accolades are coming in hard and fast for Jason Atherton’s casual fine dining “bistro”, among them a Michelin star and Square Meal’s Restaurant of the Year 2011 award. The food is European with a twist, with things like tartare of fallow deer and roast cod with paella, and for those with a sweet tooth the standalone dessert bar cannot be missed.
Complicated dishes that are beautifully presented, wonderfully combined flavours, a plush dining room and eyebrow-arching prices are usual prerequisites where fine dining restaurants are concerned, and Marcus Wareing’s eatery ticks all the boxes.
Le Gavroche was first opened by brothers Michel and Albert Roux in 1967. Their classic Gallic cuisine earned them three Michelin stars, making this the first UK restaurant to do so. Now with Michel Roux Jr in charge, the menu has allowed European and Asian influences to seep in. It is still regarded as one of London’s top eateries (despite losing a star) and there’s normally a lengthy waiting list to book a table.
Gordon Ramsay’s first restaurant has three Michelin stars and more publicity than the Kardashians, thanks to its irrepressible owner, who appears in the press more frequently for his personal life than his cooking these days. Much like her mentor, chef Clare Smyth favours meat (trotters, game, foie gras) that is expertly cooked and served in a formal setting.